Toy and track assembly



smears TOY AND TRAK ASSEMBLY Jerome H. Lemelson, 8B Garfield Apartments,Metuchen, NJ. Filed July 27, 195d, Ser. No. 829,931 1 Claim. (Cl.164-443) The present invention relates to electrically operated toys,and in particular to improved track or road bed constructions for usewith electrically motivated wheeled toys. This is a continuation in partof my earlier filed application Serial No. 528,084, filed August 12,1955, now abandoned and which is a division of application Serial No.244,557 filed August 31, 1951, and also abandoned, entitled Toy andTrack Assembly. 7

it is known to construct an electric toy which includes a wheeledvehicle simulating the engine of a train or an automobile and to drivesaid vehicle through an electrical circuit completed from a remote powersupply to a track or roadbed for the toy. Usually the track or roadbed,which supplies the energization for the motor of the toy car or train,is fabricated by die-stamping, the respective metal component parts foreach of the track sections and assembling these component parts by theuse of appropriate rivets or similar fasteners.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a toyassembly which includes a road bed or base of insulating materialprovided with a pair of spaced apart fiat conducting metallic stripsextending along the roadbed and each secured to a respective track orrail portion of said roadbed. The flat metallic strips serve as currentconductors for the supply of power from a remote source to themotor-driven wheeled vehicle, and as surfaces on which respective Wheelsof said vehicle may ride, which surfaces offer improved traction andresistance to wear. The current-carrying strips of metal which areintegrally secured to respective rail portions of the base of insulatingmaterial, may be bonded or otherwise secured to said trackway.

in a typical illustrative assembly there is provided a roadbed ofinsulating material, a pair of equally spaced flat metallic stripsextending longitudinally of the roadbed and each integrally secured tothe roadbed, a wheeled vehicle including front and rear axles and wheelsoperatively connected to the axles, an electric motor having an outputshaft operatively connected to one of the axles to provide a drivingconnection for the vehicle, energy input terminals for the electricmotor, and electrically conductive means respectively connected to theenergy input terminals and individually in continuous and mova- 50 blecontact with one of the metallic strips.

Numerous advantages are realized by constructing toy assembliesaccording to the present invention. As to the unitary or one-piecetrack, the metallic strips bonded to the base result in a materiallysimplified construction and 55 assure the mechanical fastening andsecurement of the track-forming elements to the base throughout theentire track length. From the production standpoint, manufacture ismaterially simplified, involves the use of less metal, results in alighter structure, and minimizes the 60 risk of the metallic stripseparating from the supporting base.

From the standpoint of the consumer, the laminated track construction isinherently more suitable to lower voltage operation than rails ofordinary construction since 65 it minimizes current losses and leakages.A unitary track construction assures greater life and minimizes possibleinjury to the user. It is less likely that the proposed railmountedconductors will separate from its support preventing the risk of roughor sharp edges which might 70 possibly injure the user.

3,l5,845 Patented Jan. 16, 1962 The above brief description, as well asfurther objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbe best appreciated by reference to the following detailed descriptionof presently preferred illustrative embodiments, when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 1-1 ofFIG. 3, showing a toy locomotive and track embodying features of thepresent invention;

*FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a unitary or one-piece trackconstructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the vehicle and track assembly of FIG. 1 withportions of the vehicle removed to show the drive system.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. l-3, inclusive, there is shown afirst toy assembly in accordance with the present invention which isseen to include a wheeled vehicle id, illustrated as a toy trainlocomotive, riding on a roadbed or base 12. The toy locomotive train 10is of somewhat conventional construction and includes a hollow shell orbody 13 supporting front and rear axles 14 and 16. A pair of frontwheels 13 and 20 are secured to the front axle 14 while a pair of rearwheels 22 and 24 are secured to the rear axle 16.

Internally of the hollow shell or body 13 is an electrical motor 26which is mounted on a bracket 28 by rivets 30 or the like. The outputshaft 32 of the motor is connected by meshing bevel gears 34 and 36 tothe front axle 14- to provide drive for the front wheels 18 and 2d.

The roadbed or base 12 includes a base section 4% having integralelevated rail sections 42 and 44- which are formed of the same materialas the base portion id, preferably by a molding or extrusion process ifthe trackbed 12 is made of a moldable plastic material. Said railportions 42 and 44 extend in spaced side-by-side relation at aseparation determined by the spacing between the respective pairs ofwheels 13, 29 and 22, 24. The base or roadoed 12 is fabricated mainly ofam appropriate insulating material, such as an easily formed or moldedplastic. On the coplanar fiat upper faces of the rails 42 and 44 thereare provided respective current conducting strips or metallic elements46 and 48 which are integrally bonded or otherwise secured to the railsproper 42 and 44. Said metallic elements 46 and 48 extend the length ofand are secured to the rail portions 42 and 44 by means of a suitableplastic cement or adhesive or may be applied to the material of 12 whileit is in a molten state. The securing means may also be effected orsupplemented by stamping or otherwise forming portions of each metalstrip and causing said portions to become embedded in or otherwise griprespective portions of the side surfaces of the rail portions. Theconductive strips 46 and 48 are fabricated of current conducting metalsheet or plate or may comprise a layer of metal sprayed or moldedthereon. The conductive strips 46 and 48 are connected to an appropriatevoltage supply (not shown) such as one or more batteries, and compriseopposite lines or sides of an energization circuit for the motor 26.

The energization circuit for the motor 26 includes a pair of brushes 5t)and 52 which are connected to opposite terminals of the motor 25. Thebrushes 5!} and 52 ride upon conductive sections 16a and 16b of the rearaxle 16 which conductive sections are separated by an insulating section16c. The circuit to the respective currentcarrying strips 46 and 48 iscompleted by the rear wheels 22 and 24- which are made of anelectrically conductive material. It will thus be appreciated that theelectrical circuit for the motor 26 includes the brush 5f the axlesection 16a of the rear axle 16, the wheel 22, and a track 46 to oneside of the supply and the brush 52, the

3 axle section 16b, the wheel 24 and the strip 48 to the other side ofthe current supply.

As a feature of the invention, each of the wheels 18, 20, 22 and 214 isprovided with an enlarged flange, generally designated by the referencenumeral 54 which serves to laterally guide the train 10 in relation tothe track or roadbed 12.

It will be appreciated that the wiring and assembly operations arereduced to a minimum and assure the provision of a high quality,durable, low cost toy. Specifically the proposed rail and conductorforming elements require less metal in production and assure theprovision of a rugged structure in which the current-conducting parts orelements are not readily separated from the base or roadbed.

Numerous other modifications of the present invention will beappreciated by those skilled in the art and accordingly the appendedclaim should be construed broadly as is consistent with the appendedclaimand in certain instances some features of the invention will beused without a corresponding use of other features. For example, eitheror both the upper and lower surfaces of the metallic strip elements maybe surface roughened or irregularly shaped. Roughening or irregularlyshaping the under-surface of these elements will improve the bond orfastening to the respective rail portions 42 and 44. Roughening theupper surfaces will enhance the traction with the Wheels of the vehicle.

The track-bed 12 may extend as an oblong straight portion or curvedportion per se or to be joined with other portions of straight or curvedtrack. It may also extend as a closed loop, figure eight, etc. The basesection 40 may extend for a short distance either or both sides of therail portions or a considerable distance therefrom and may be shaped ordecorated to represent an embankment or part of the terrain. Conductingelements which are either integral with or mechanically connected to theelements 46 and 48 may extend either along the upper or lower surface ofdo for conection to a source of electrical energy such as a battery orother electrical accessory.

'If the track 12 is to be joined to other track sections, the ends ofthe elements 45 and 48 may be shaped for electrically connecting tosimilar elements on other sec tions of the track-way when they areabutted and mechanically joined together.

1 claim:

in a toy track for guiding an electric motor-driven toy vehicle,comprising in combination a base of electrical insulating material, saidbase having spaced apart rail portions for guiding said vehicle, saidrail portions having a plurality of parallel planar faces, at least oneof said faces of each rail portion having a strip of electricallyconductive metal integrally bonded thereto along sub stantialiy itsentire length, said strip of electrically conductive metal. beingsubstantially as wide as the width of the face of said rail portion towhich it is bonded, a toy vehicle having wheels shaped to be guided byat least one face of each of said rail portions, one of said strips ofmetal being connected in an electric circuit with a power supply, theother strip of electrically conducting metal extending along said trackparallel to said first strip and serving as a ground return forelectrical energy to said power supply, and means for conductingelectrical energy from said power supply through said first strip to themotor in said vehicle and from said motor to said second strip.

References fiited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,660,715 Lingenfelder Feb. 28, 1923 1,750,365 Schneider Mar. 11, 19301,773,560 West-cott Aug. 19, 1930 2,877,7l6 Ryzner Mar. 17, 1959 FOREIGNPATENTS 638,112 Germany Nov. ll), 1936

